‘A very popular director kept knocking on my door drunk’: Actress Suma Jayaram opens up about losing roles

Malayalam actress Suma Jayaram, known for her supporting roles in several popular films, has come forward with disturbing revelations about the challenges she faced early in her career.

Speaking to Milestone Makers, the actress opened up about how her roles were often reduced, opportunities were taken away, and how an unsettling experience with a well-known director left her deeply shaken.

Suma Jayaram recalled that despite being promised substantial parts, her scenes were frequently cut down or reassigned to other actresses. “When the scenes became lengthy, they would get cut down. So, what I acted in would finally be reduced to just two scenes. That’s how I ended up being limited to small characters,” she said.

Citing examples, she mentioned that she was initially chosen to play the role that Suchitra Murali later performed in ‘Bharatham’. “I stayed there for four days. After Padmarajan uncle passed away, I was told to return home. A week later, I saw in Nana magazine that Suchitra was doing that role,” Suma said.

A similar situation occurred during the filming of ‘Ente Sooryaputhrikku’. “I went to play Amala’s sister, but by the time I reached the location, someone else had already been cast. I was shifted to a friend’s role instead. The sister’s role was played by a girl who came from Tamil Nadu,” she added.

The actress reflected on the lack of protection and awareness in the industry during her early years, contrasting it with the post-MeToo environment. “It wasn’t like today back then. Now there’s MeToo and all that, and the industry has changed a lot. But in those days, it wasn’t like that. You had to make a lot of sacrifices. If you didn’t compromise, you would lose opportunities. No one would speak out because everyone had families. Even today, those who speak up lose opportunities,” she said.

Recounting one of the most distressing incidents from her teenage years, Suma described an encounter with a “very prominent director.”

“I once went to act in a film by a very prominent director. My mother came along with me. The shoot was scheduled for a week. After wrapping up the morning’s shoot, I returned to my room in the evening. Around 10 pm, that famous director came to my room and started knocking on the balcony door. When we looked through the window, we saw that it was him, fully drunk. I was around 16 or 17 years old then, and I was terrified,” she revealed.

After knocking for a while, the director eventually left, but the next day, he reportedly created a scene on set. “The next day at the shooting location, we heard him shouting abuses. It’s such experiences that make people stay silent,” she said.

Recently, after the Hema Committee report on sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry came to light, several actresses came forward with their own revelations. The report confirmed that the casting couch and workplace misconduct are prevalent in the sector.